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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs

Opioids in Medicaid: Concerns About Opioid Use Among Beneficiaries in Six Appalachian States in 2018
Examines the rates of opioid use of Medicaid beneficiaries in 6 Appalachian states in 2018. Discusses the amount of the prescriptions issued, the amounts of opioids received, and the amount of providers with questionable prescribing practices, among other opioid-related measures.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Few Patients Received High Amounts of Opioids from IHS-Run Pharmacies
Presents an evaluation of the opioid prescribing practices of the Indian Health Service (IHS). Bases analysis on IHS opioid prescribing data, discusses the role of electronic health records (EHRs) in monitoring opioid prescriptions, and makes recommendations to improve monitoring.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Drug Pricing Program: HHS Uses Multiple Mechanisms to Help Ensure Compliance with 340B Requirements
Examines the Health Services and Research Administration's (HRSA) oversight of covered entities' compliance with 340B Program requirements. Describes the 340B Program, the HRSA audit process, and findings from audits conducted between 2012-2019. Discusses additional efforts by HRSA to promote compliance and identify noncompliance.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Buprenorphine Dispensing in an Epicenter of the U.S. Opioid Epidemic: A Case Study of the Rural Risk Environment in Appalachian Kentucky
Explores buprenorphine dispensing practices among pharmacists in rural, Appalachian Kentucky, highlighting issues related to buprenorphine dispensing hesitancy. Identifies themes from interviews with 14 pharmacists operating in 12 rural, Appalachian Kentucky counties and discusses dispensing risk environment. Reviews factors influencing hesitancy, including national and state-level drug policy, stigma, and continuing impacts of the opioid epidemic.
Author(s): Hannah LF Cooper, David H. Cloud, Patricia R. Freeman, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Drug Policy, 85, 102701
Date: 11/2020
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November 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) November 2020 meeting. Covers the expansion of telehealth in Medicare, Medicare beneficiaries' access to care in rural areas, effects of pharmaceutical manufacturer rebates on Part D's risk adjustment, and improving competition among Part D's benchmark plans.
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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PharmD Concentration Helps Pharmacy Students Prepare for a Career in Rural America
Features the Rural Pharmacy Practice program, a concentration for PharmD students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy who are interested in working in rural communities. Describes how the program was created. Discusses the experiences students have, including conducting community needs assessments and related population health projects.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs for CY 2021
Comments on an August 12, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2021. Includes comments on payment rates for separately payable non–pass-through drugs obtained through the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Variation of Medicaid Expansion on Access to Naloxone
Poster examining the rate of naloxone prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacies between 2011 and 2017. Compares the rate of naloxone prescriptions before and after Medicaid expansion and as the rural population increased.
Author(s): Yue Cheng, Minji Sohn, Patricia R. Freeman, Eugene Shin, Chris Delcher
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Mental Health Treatment Among Adults: United States, 2019
Reports on the percentage of adults who have taken prescription medication for mental health or received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional in the past year. Includes data for adults living in large metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Emily P. Terlizzi, Benjamin Zablotsky
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5–17 Years: United States, 2019
Reports on U.S. children between the ages of 5 and 17 who had counseling or therapy from a mental health professional or took prescription medication for mental health in the past year. Includes data for children living in nonmetropolitan areas, small or medium metro areas, and large metro areas.
Author(s): Benjamin Zablotsky, Emily P. Terlizzi
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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